


Kill The Ocean

by Kianna_Basile



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Blood, Dark, Gen, I abused the thesaurus, I took a lot of inspiration from, LGBT, LGBTQ, Lots of Descriptions, Mermaids, Mermaids: The Body Found - Freeform, Netaowa is an angsty teen, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Fiction, also there's a lot of religion talk, he's confused about life, help me i can't tag, it's only in the prologue though, mermaid, nothing too bad though, self-indulgent af
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2020-10-26 06:57:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20738090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kianna_Basile/pseuds/Kianna_Basile
Summary: We were a dying race.They have tainted our world and destroyed our people. Every year our numbers dwindle, and I can only fear for the others elsewhere in the ocean, for soon, I worry our species will fade into oblivion.My father tells me of a time long before his own when hundreds of children were born per year. When sickness did not encompass all who did not die before birth. When our population was as great as those above and we were free to swim for hours without fear, without the risking of our welfare and of our lives being cut short by having the breath stolen from our lungs.I often find myself yearning for those times, wondering what life would be like if those on land had left the sea alone. But I must push aside these trivial fantasies, for dreaming will not make life any easier. They cannot constitute for the struggles we have endured, and those we will continue to suffer until we are no more.For no matter how much we try to mask this offensive reality, we all know the bitter truth. Soon everything and everyone will be gone.●-----◦◉◦-----●Updates will be sporadic as I am writing this for mostly myself and want to enjoy taking my time writing it.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to Kill The Ocean! I want to thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
> 
> It's pretty self-indulgent though, with a lot of fillers and descriptions that probably aren't necessary and sporadic updates. But I'm writing this for my own pleasure and if other people enjoy it too, that's awesome.
> 
> Also, this isn't your stereotypical mermaid story filled with magic and wonder. Quite the opposite really. It can get a bit dark, so don't say I didn't warn you.
> 
> With that being said, enjoy!

Something was wrong.

He could sense it. It was in the sudden shifting of the water. The subtle vibrations of something near him. Something out of place. The few fish in the area swam on, undisturbed, but he did not.

He froze, spear clenched tightly in his left hand, waiting. Listening. Feeling.

He looked slowly around him, into the murky blue depths of the ocean, wide eyes scanning past the several fish that moved about. They created there own, unique vibrations in the water, but nothing like what he had felt. He turned cautiously, not wanting to attract unwanted attention.

He gazed briefly upwards, but saw nothing amidst the rays of the sun breaking through the waters surface.

Heart pounding as dread began to creep its way into him, he looked down, into the black and seemingly bottomless sea. Nothing but the dark waters, until...

Movement. Movement so subtle, little may have noticed. But he did. A flash of lightness against the black. A flash of danger.

He responded immediately, flexed his muscles, turning to his right, towards home, twisting himself so that he was on his side. He could feel the shifting of the water below him as the hungry beast shot upwards towards its prey. At the same moment, the hunter, Aix, flicked his tail to propel himself forward. He was fast, but not fast enough.

Pain, intense and sharp, blinded him as teeth sunk into the base of his tail fin. Red fogged the water as he thrashed and flailed, widening the deep gashes the teeth created.

He knew he had to escape the shark's grasp. Within seconds of his capture, Aix was pivoting his body towards his attacker. Fear gave way to the basic instincts of survival and determination. The pain dulled just enough for him to focus his energy on his left arm and to cease his aimless struggling. As the shark bit ever harder on its now placid prey, the hunter drew his arm back, aimed the sharpened bone at its eye.

His hand darted forward and the spear was released. It cut through the water with speed and precision.

Moments after being seized, Aix was released. His weapon imbedded itself in the beady black eye of the shark. Red once again flowed through the blue waters of the sea, trailing in rapidly dissipating swirls behind the retreating beast.

The pain returned to Aix, greater than ever. His vision blurred, dizziness overcoming him. His injury continued to bleed, tainting the water until he was enveloped in a cloud of blood. He called out to his fellow hunters, hoping they were close enough to hear his cries.

Black dots filled his sight, until he found himself unconscious and sinking to the depths of the sea.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the book will occasionally shift point of view from Netaowa to Aix. It'll mostly be in Netaowa's POV but some chapters will be Aix's.

It was a wonder how such majesty could derive from such terrible beings as the Iba. How creatures of pure evil could create something so complex and awesome in its design. Despite my daily, furtive visits to the rotting Iba structure, I could never comprehend such an enigma as the one presented by the great beast.

It was a monster, representing all things abominable, yet was a vision of wonder and awe.

Its appearance was both amazing and terrible. Its ghastly fingers, broken and deteriorated, reached towards the surface, to the Air, the vile realm from whence it originated. It was a hopeless effort, however, for its body was severed in two, revealing its cavernous insides. Pieces of the beast littered the ocean floor, irreparable and decomposing.

The current weaved through the porous skeleton, like something alive, stirring up small amounts of debris that would be whisked about and taken on a journey throughout the body of the fallen beauty. I followed the current and its companions to the darkest corners of the formation, accompanied only by a sparse number of fish.

It was in these isolated areas that I would rest, allowing the breath to return to me following the exertion of travel. The current would sway me to and fro, lulling me into a trance-like state. In these endless moments of rest I would often find myself pondering the uncertainties of the future and dwelling on the irreversible past. I would let dreams of joyous and fanciful realities take me. I would close my eyes and float, content, despite the surrounding wickedness.

It was a contradictory scene. An Abi encompassed by Iba, yet all the while at ease. They destroyed us, yet here I was, finding solace in their creations.

Often times guilt for my actions would creep into my subconscious mind. I felt as though I was betraying my kind. Everyday I would turn against them so as to find refuge in evil.

I could only imagine the horror and disgust of my father if he were to discover the location of my daily escapades. A devoted Netaoist with an extreme disliking of Ibanism, he would be mortified to learn that his only child dabbled in the religion. The worship of malevolence.

Although my trials with Ibanism did not extend to the worship of the Iba, I found myself fascinated by them and their ways. Unlike most of my pod, I did not fear them, nor did I loathe them. To me, they were akin to the many predators of the sea, deadly yet alluring in their own twisted sense. This is not to imply that I did not spare several prayers to them in an aim to tempt a response.

Of course, signs that the Iba acknowledged my prayers was imperceptible, and I was sure I would never receive anything from them, save suffering and my morbid fascination.

●—————◦◉◦—————●

It was when the sunlight crept its way into my private hideout that I knew I should return to Isiaja. The day was approaching its end and our daily meal was soon to be handed out.

The water shifted as I did, breaking the still of the atmosphere. I took my time swimming through the decrepit beast, slowly weaving through familiar caverns. The light from above shone through the small pores that speckled the structure like the stars shining through the darkness of the night. They sparkled with the current and the eclipses of passing wildlife. As the holes grew ever larger, the Iba creation began to brighten.

I approached the nearest exit, a rotted hole leading to the flat top of the monster. Making my way past the corals that lined the open wound, I finally entered the world above. Maneuvering about the outstretched limbs, I departed the Iba's fallen beast. As I did each time I left, I apologized to the Ocean for my betrayal as if I would not do so again.

The sea stretched before me, barren and endless. The nothingness was neverending with only the decaying body of my private hideout to break the destitution. The sand was devoid of any major features, save for the occasional rock or fish. It glowed with the distant rays of the sun, bending and flowing with the movement of the water.

I swam until the seafloor came to an abrupt end, dropping suddenly into nothingness. Gazing down, no particular thoughts in my mind, I stared into the abyss. The darkness that emanated from below was infinite and beautiful. Blue faded into black, seamless and unadulterated. I briefly wondered what unknown creatures lurked in those eternal depths, but the thought was fleeting.

Such trivial thoughts came and went throughout my journey home, akin to the many fish that passed me by. There and then gone.

Soon enough, Isiaja came into view. It rose from the depths of the sea, inconspicuous yet the pinnacle of everything. Its rocky, dome-like exterior was speckled with corals, once vibrant and colorful, now white and dead. No longer did fish swim through their branches nor did starfish cling to their bases. The miniature reef was dead, for reasons unknown.

_"Come on Netaowa! You are so slow!"_

_I struggled to keep up, panting and heaving. Fish of all different shapes, sizes and colors darted away as we passed, taking refuge in the coral. Atow was far ahead, swimming around a rocky outcrop, disappearing from view. As I rounded the corner, I saw my companion. Atow was facing me, a bright, mischievous smile on his face. He too was without breath, lungs frantically working to inhale. He chuckled, turned, and swam away._

_"Atow!" I yelled, taking off after him._

I looked at the achromic reef on last time before focusing my gaze on one of the lesser used side entrances. Slowly creeping forward, I peered into the darkness, tying to sense if there was any movement. I had been sneaking out for several seasons now and had not been discovered yet.

Upon seeing nothing, I swam forward, into the desolation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vocabulary
> 
> Abi  
Mermaid
> 
> Iba  
Human
> 
> Netaoism  
The worship of the sea; tend to believe the ocean as a whole is a holy being; believe the ocean is responsible for all things good
> 
> Ibanism  
The worship of the Iba; the worship of evil; there are two types, Mowish and Awish
> 
> Mowish Ibanists  
Tend to believe worshipping the Iba will spare them of suffering caused by them
> 
> Awish Ibanists  
Tend to believe they will be reincarnated as an Iba after death; believe pollution is the Iba's way of punishing those who do not worship them
> 
> ●—————◦◉◦—————●
> 
> A/N: Hello! I hope everyone enjoyed, because writing this was like trying to teach a first grader calculus. Trust me when I say the worst part of writing is coming up with the beginning of a story and the end. Not to mention coming up with an entire culture and religion is super difficult!
> 
> If you have any questions (since this story is probably confusing af) be sure to ask in the comment section!


	3. Chapter 2

Her screams cut through my ears and pierced my soul. It echoed throughout the caverns, engulfing everything. Becoming everything.

At first I did not understand what was happening. It took me by surprise, and for a fleeting second I did not know it was a scream I was listening to. But once I realized what the high pitched howl was, my body became engulfed in cold dread.

Who was to sink into the abyss?

Swimming to the main cavern, I was met with a horrendous sight. It imbedded itself into my psyche, became a vision never to be forgotten, always lurking in the darkest corners of my mind.

A young woman was holding her child to her chest, face contorted, the paragon of anguish. Her hands trembled, body shook like the rippling surface during a horrendous storm. Her breaths came out in heaving gasps and prolonged moans that reflected the suffering only a grieving mother could feel.

The child, not even a year of age, so small and fragile, was startlingly still. His delicate hands hung limp, trembling with the motion of his mother.

The child was gone.

His soul was now one with the current.

●—————◦◉◦—————●

Isiaja was tense. Few spoke, and those who did were filled with a sympathetic sorrow. They cried for the child and his mother, remembering all the others who have been carried away, all the while mourning the fickle lives of the living.

"I have seen very little of you, Netaowa. Where have you been?"

I frowned. Conversation was something I dreaded, especially when it concerned myself. "I have been where the current has taken me."

Kiza slowed to swim beside me. "Your father is ill and you do not care!" She grabbed my arm bringing us both to a stop. "Do you not want to be with him? Have you not noticed his suffering?"

Guilt filled me. I looked down at the luminescent vines that grew from the stone walls. My mind wandered to the woman screaming for the return of her child. "I do not have to answer to you."

With that, I swam away and I did not look back.

"You have defiled your father's name!"

●—————◦◉◦—————●

_I had never been more terrified in my life. My existence was being torn away from me and I could do nothing. I could not even scream, for my breath was failing me. I was heaving harder than I ever had. Water could not bypass my constricted throat. It felt as though I was dying, and at that moment I wished I was._

_I wished it was me instead of Atow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact! A lot of the inspiration for this chapter came from an episode of Blue Planet, in which a whale calf died due to the microplastics in its mother's milk. That's what happened to the Abi woman's child. It will never be explicitly revealed in the book, because the Abi have no knowledge of microplastics.


	4. Chapter 3

The entirety of Isiaja was floating in silence, looking about aimlessly, not wanting to gaze too long upon the small body being held by The Elder. The cries of his mother drifted through the crowd like an undertow. I could see the poor woman holding the limp hand of her young.

The boy's body was bound with heavy stones, but The Elder showed no strain in supporting the weight. He was whispering ancient Netaoist prayers, wishing the child's spirit peace within the currents and joy within the waves.

As the last few words were recited, the woman's cries grew louder.

She knew she would never see her son again. She would not watch him grow old. She would never feel his skin beneath her fingers. Never hold his little hands within her own.

She knew he was gone forever.

Several whimpers arose from the crowd. We could feel her anguish within ourselves. We knew her grief, for we all bore our own.

Reluctantly, she released the hand of her baby and swam back. She sobbed as the arm of her child fell limp, her own hands held to her chest, clenched, resisting the overwhelming need to hold her young.

Another pod member swam forward, half-embracing the woman.

The Elder held the body above the cliff side. "Let the Ocean take your soul to warmer waters." He released the child, the stones dragging the body away from view, into the darkness.

"No!" The woman screamed. She tried to dart forward, her arms outstretched towards the abyss. "My child! My baby! No!"

The person embracing the woman tightened their hold, turning her so that they could hold her to their chest. She screamed, griping onto their shoulders as though they too were about to sink.

The pod floated in place for several moments before slowly returning to the caverns, leaving the mother to grieve.

We never saw the woman again.

●—————◦◉◦—————●

I gazed upon the shoal of fish, their scales glimmering in the sunlight as they scurried about. It was the most life we had seen since our hunt began. A plentiful bounty, enough food for the entire pod. A feast compared to the singular fish in my grasp.

But the ocean would not bare its blessing upon us, for the shoal was already claimed. The Iba, with there perpetual greed, were lifting the hoard of riches from the sea.

"What do we do now?"

Eiso's question remained unanswered, for I could do naught but stare as the Iba, as they so often do, stole from the ocean. They clearly must have acknowledged the suffering they bestowed upon the sea. It would be foolish to consider that they did otherwise.

As always, my mind wandered to the mechanics of their tools, which continued to elude my observance. The netting they tossed into the mass of fish. The way they pulled such a burdensome haul into their grasp. The structure they traveled in, clearly not of a living nature but able to defy the logic placed on the inanimate.

"Netaowa?" Eiso's voice broke through my stupor and swelled guilt within me. "Netaowa, what do we do now?"

My expression hardened and I jerked away from him, swimming away, back towards Isiaja. It took but a moment for Eiso to meet my pace, loyally swimming at my side, his hand wrapping around my wrist. "I am sorry." I murmured.

"Do not say that. You have done nothing."

And he was right. I had done nothing.

Nothing at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact! Netaowa is asexual and aromantic. He has never been, nor will he ever be, interested in finding a partner. As for Eiso, his sexuality and romantic orientation will remain up for interpretation.


	5. Chapter 4: Aix

It was a grim reality, one of hardship and loss. He figured he would eventually grow numb to it all, but with every new travesty, his despair only amplified.

He wished more than anything, for the pain to end.

The shark attack had left his crippled. His once pristine tail was now damaged beyond repair. No longer could he swim the vast ocean outside Isiaja to hunt. He could scarcely traverse the caverns without the aid of another.

There was now one less hunter to provide to the pod.

He had become a burden to his people, a misfortune greater than his impairment.

"Father!"

His frown deepened as his son swam into view, the ache in his soul outweighing that of his injury.

How was he going to be able to care for his child? To be a good father?

Netaowa was the most important thing in his life, but how important could he be to his son as he was?

Netaowa swam excitedly over to wear he sat, smile as great as the sea, arms outstretched. Aix grinned, opening his own arms, reaching for his child.

As they embraced, Aix could feel his sadness fade and for a moment he could imagine--no, believe--that one day, things would get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact! Most of the names in this book are the result of me mashing my keyboard until something able to be pronounced is created.


End file.
